Package-filling apparatus.



E. G. TREMAINE. PACKAGE FILLING APPARATUS. AHPLIUATIUH FILED 1mm s, 1911sA 11,023,343. Patented Apr. 16, 1912.

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PACKAGE FILLING APPARATUS.

APPLIUA'I'ION FILED JUHB8.190E|. 1,023,343. Patented Apr. 16,1912.

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Ed G. TRBMAINE.

PACKAGE FILLING APPARATUS.

APPLIGATIUN FILED JUNB8,1!J09.

Patented Apr. 16, 1912.

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UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIoE.

EDWARD GEORGE TREMAINE, 0F HACKENSACK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO AUTO- MATIC WEIGHING MACHINE COMPANY, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORA- TION OF NEW YORK.

PACKAGE-FILLING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 16, 1912.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, EDWARD Gr. TREMAINE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Hackensack, in the county of Bergen and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Package-Filling Apparatus, of `which the following is a specification.

This invention relates more particularly to apparatus by means of which empty cartons or other receptacles may be automatically brought to and temporarily arrested at the point at which they receive their respective charges and then removed therefrom, one after another, such an apparatus being useful in connection with automatic weighing machines and other kinds of package-filling devices.

My invention is characterized by the employment, for the purpose above referred to, of a continuously-o-perated conveyer, preferably an endless belt, which extends beneath the point of discharge from a package-filling apparatus and is so arranged that the empty receptacles may be placed upon the same at any convenient point and Will then be carried successively to and arrested beneath said point of discharge'while being filled, during which operation the conveyer slides under the stationary receptacles, so that it is instantly operative to convey the filled receptacles away and undergoes no interruption of its own movement.

An apparatus embodying my invention, as preferably constructed, 1s illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an elevation; Fig. 2 is a plan View; and Fig. 3 is a transverse section.

My apparatus is represented in the drawings as employed in connection with a spout 2, which may lead from or serve as the discharge spout of a package-filling machine of any usual or suita le construction. Beneath the o en lower end of the discharge spout 2 is ocated an endless belt 3 wh1ch runs horizontally between two drums 4 over which it passes. One of the drums 4 is continuousl and positively rotated by means of a tielt pulley 5 and belt 6, or other- Wise, and a belt tightener 7 kee s the belt 3 sufficiently taut to insure an a equate grip of the belt upon the drum which drives it. The horizontal upper portion of the belt 3 is located at such a distance below the discharge spout 2 as to permit the receptacles employed to pass beneath said spout while resting upon the belt, and it extends for a suitable distance in opposite directions from said spout so as to permit a series of empty receptacles to be placed upon the receiving end of the conveyer by an attendant or otherwise and to convey the filled receptacles to the desired point of removal after they have been filled. This u per or conveying portion of the belt 3 pre erably passes over and rests upon a rigid support such as a horizontal table S, so that the receptacles are effectively supported at a predetermined elevation during their transit and while they are being filled. Lateral guides 9 extend along the side edges of the upper portion of the belt, to prevent sidewise displacement of the receptacles thereon.

For the purpose of temporarily arresting the successive receptacles in position to receive their intended contents I provide a stop or latch preferably consisting of an L- shaped arm 10 pivoted at one end to one of the side guides 9 and so arranged that it may be projected into the path of the receptacles and will thereupon arrest the foremost of the receptacles which are moving toward it and maintain such receptacle directly beneath the discharge spout 2 or other source of supply.

The stop 10 may be actuated by any suitable mechanism controlled by or adapted to be operated in connection with the delivery of material into the receptacles. In the construction illustrated a flap 11 is pivotally supported in the upper portion of the spout 2 and is normally held by a spring 12 in the position shown in Fig. 3, so that it will receive the Weight of a falling charge of material and be tilted thereby on its pivotal axis to permit the material to flow ast it. An arm 13, rigidly connected to sald flap, is connected by a link 14 to a latch 15 pivotally mounted 0n a fixed bracket 16 and arranged to be engaged, when the flap 11 is in the position shown in Fi 3, by a stop face 17 on a cam 18 secure to a countershaft 19, which countershaft is provided with a belt pulley 20 having a friction-clutch connection with the countershaft, as shown at 21 in Fig. 2, and belted to any convenient source of power, whereby it is continuously rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3. The countershaft 19 is provided at one end with a. crank pin 22 on which is mounted the upper end oil a dependingr link 23, and in the lower end of thisI link is formed a slot 211 in which is located a pin 2.5 carried by one arm of a bell crank lever 2C pivotally mounted on the bracket lt'. The other arln of said bell crank lever is connected to the stop 1f) by a pivoted link 2T and is also provided with a spring 28 tending to jn'oject said stop across the path of the receptacles on the belt 3.

As thus constructed, the operation is as follows: The parts of the apparatus are normally in the position shown in Figs. 2 and B, and assuming that a line of empty receptacles is resting upon the belt 3, the foremost receptacle in the line, which is indicated at 29 in Fig. 2, will be held against the inwardly-projecting portion of the stop 10 by the friction of the belt 3, which slides continuously beneath it. lf now the charge of material for this receptacle is discharged into the upper end of the spout 2, the flap 11 will be tilted by the falling charge and will thereby litt the latch 15 out of engagement with the stop face on the cam 18, whereupon the continuously-driven pulley 20 will rotate the countershaft 19. The rotation of this countershaft will have no effect upon the stop 1() until the slotted lower end of the link 23 has risen to its highest position and then moved downward sutliciently to bring the adjustable stop screw 30 at the upper end of the slot 24 into contact with the pin 25 on the bell crank lever 2G, but upon the further downward movement of said link 23 the bell crank lever 26 will be moved in opposition to the spring 28 and the stop 10 will be thereby withdrawn from the path of the receptacles on the belt 3, whereupon the line of empty receptacles will immediately advance. The withdrawal of said sto-p, however, will not be completed until the link 23 is in its lowermost position, or substantially so, so that the withdrawal of the stop will instantly be followed by its projection across the path of the empty receptacles, the relative speed of the various parts being such that the stop will be operative to intercept the next receptacle in the series. During the first half rotation of the countershaft 19, or thereabout, the charge of material will have time to fall into the receptacle beneath the spout 2, and thereupon the flap 11 will be returned to its normal position by the spring 12, so that the latch 15 will be in position to stop the cam 18 and countershaft 19 at the end of one rotation thereof, whereupon the parts will remain in this position until an other charge of material passes through the spout 2. As fast as the empty receptacles are placed upon the receiving end of the conveyer they are carried forward thereby until their movement is arrested by the line of receptacles held back by the stop 10,V

whereupon the conveyor slides beneath these stationary receptacles until the first receptacle in the line is released atter it has been filled, whereupon the line of receptacles advances one step, equal to the width of a receptacle. The filled receptacles, however, are automatically spaced apart to an extent determined by the distance through which the conveyor travels between successive operations of the package-filling machine, and may be disposed of in any desired manner at 'the point of their removal 'from the eon veyer.

When the receptacles employed are rec tangular in transverse section, it is evident that the stop 10 must effect a lateral displacement of the receptacle just filled in order that said stop may advance in front of the next succeeding empty receptacle, and this lateral displacement of the filled rcceptacle is provided for by olsctting one of the guides 9 opposite the stop 10, as shown at 30 in Fig. 2, whereby a space is provided to receive the displaced filled receptacle when the stop is advanced over the belt. The receptacle so displaced is subsequently guided back into its normal path by the slanting portion 31 of the offset guide.

It will be observed that the conveyor above described has the advantage, as compared with a rotating table such as has been employed heretofore for a similar purpose, that it may be given any desired length, according to the requirements of the situation in which it is installed. Furthermore, by virtue of its being driven continuously, it operates upon the arrested receptacles instantaneously, as fast as the same are released, without being subject to the shock and jar incidental to the arresting of a heavy moving part which has to stop and startwith the receptacles themselves. These and other advantages of my invention will be sufficiently apparent without further description, and it will also be understood that my invention is not limited to the specific form of conveyer herein described but may be embodied in various constructions without losing the essential characteristics and the resulting advantages thereof.

I claim as my invention:-

1. The combination with a package-filling apparatus of a continuously-driven conveyer passing beneath the point of discharge from said apparatus, a stop adapted to e projected into the ath of a series of receptacles carried by sai conveyor, and means operative with the filling oi a receptacle for actuating said stop.

2. The combination with a package-filling apparatus of an endless conveyer belt arranged to run horizontally beneath the point of discharge from said apparatus, means for continuously driving said belt, a sto adapted to hold a receptacle on said be t in filling position, and means for actuating said stop.

Thel combination with a package-filling apparatus having a discharge spout, of a continuously-driven conveyer arranged to transport a series of receptacles beneath said spout, one after another, a .stop adapted to arrest the successive receptacles in filling position, a flap arranged to bbc operated by the passage of a charge of material through said spout, and connections between the flap and stop for actuating the latter.

4. The combination with a package-{illing apparatus of a continuously-driven conveyor arranged to transport a series of receptacles beneath the point of discharge from said apparatus, one after another, a stop adapted to be projected into the path of said receptacles in position to hold the same successively in filling position, a spring normally maintaining said stop in operative position, a powerdriven countershaft and connections between the same and the stop for withdrawing the latter, a latch normally arresting the rot-ation of the countershaft, and means operative with the passage of a charge of material into a receptacle for releasing said countershaft.

5. The combination with a package-lling apparatus of a continuously-driven conveyer belt arranged to transport a series of receptacles successively beneath the point of discharge from said apparatus, a stop adapted to be projected laterally into the path of said receptacles in posit-ion to hold the foremost empty receptacle in filling position, means for operating said stop, and lateral guides for the series of receptacles resting upon the conveyer belt, one of said guides being offset opposite the stop.

G. The combination with a package-filling apparatus of a continuously-driven conveyer belt passing beneath the point of discharge from said apparatus and extending in opposite directions therefrom, a rigid support for the upper portion of the conveyer belt, a stop adapted to be projected into the path of a series of receptacles rest-ing on said belt, in position to hold the foremost empty receptacle in filling position, and means for actuating said stop.

7. The combination with a package-filling apparatus of a continuously-driven conveyer arranged to transport a series of receptacles snccesively beneath the point of discharge from said apparatus, a stop adapted to be projected into the path of said receptacles in position to arrest the foremostempty receptacle in iilling position, means normally holding said stop in operative position, a stop-retracting lever and normally-inactive power-driven ine-ans for operating the same to retract the stop, and means operative with the passage of a charge of material into a receptacle for setting said power-driven means in operation.

8. The combination with a package-filling apparatus of a continuously-driven conveyor arranged to transport a series of receptacles suceesively beneath the point oftdischarge from said apparatus, a stop arranged to be projected into the path of' said receptacles in position to arrest the foremost empty receptacle in filling position, and means for actuating said stop comprising a reti-acting lever, a spring constantly tending to hold the stop in operative position, a reciprocating link provided with a slot in which a pin carried by said lever is arranged to travel, and means operative with the passage of a charge of material into a receptacle for reciprocating said link.

9. The combination with a package-filling apparatus having a discharge spout, of a flap pivotally supported in the upper por tion of said spout, a spring normally holding said fiap in position to receive the weight of a` charge of material passing through the spout, a countcrshaft carrying a belt pulley for driving the same and having a frictionclutch connection therewith, a stop latch normally arresting the rotation of said countershaft and connections between the stop latch and the pivoted iiap for actuating the former, a link pivotally mounted on a crank pin carried by said countershaft, said link being provided at its lower end with a slot, a lever having a pin located in said slot, a cont-innously-driven conveyor passing beneath said discharge spout, a stop arranged to be projected across the supporting surface of said conveyer, a spring normally holding said stop in operative position, and connections between said stop and lever for retraeting the former.

10. A conveyor for use in connection with a package-filling aJparatus, comprising a horizontally-exten ing endless belt and means for driving the same continuously, lateral guides extending along the upper portion of said belt, a stop movable over the supporting surface of the belt, and means for operating said stop, one of said guides being offset laterally, opposite the stop.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this second day of J-une, 1909.

HENRY RAE SIMoNsoN, HARRY DAY BowMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve `cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

